Elevator for green tobacco.



S. SCHMIDT.

- ELEVATOR FOB. GREEN TOBACCO.

' APPLIOATION FILED MAR.15, 1913.

1,079,608, Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

I Fi .1-

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

, s. SCHMIDT. I ELEVATOR FOR GREEN TOBACCO.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.15, 1913.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2!. L55" LL Q33 M u I M ii a a h w I 'l(f/ 5' H HJW%,#

SAMUEL SCHMIDT, OF FARMERSVILLE, OHIO.

ELEVATOR FOR GREEN TOBACCO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application filed March 15, 1913. Serial No. 754,627.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Farmersville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators for Green Tobacco; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as w1ll en: able others skilled in the art to which 1t appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in conveyers or elevators for lifting green tobacco.

The object of the invention is to provlde a device of this type by means of which the green tobacco, which is strung on laths, may be elevated to high levels in the drylng sheds without the aid of intervening manual labor.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the carrier or elevator- Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; Fig l is a View of the device showing the method used when picking up the tobacco; Fig "5 is a sectional view of a tobacco drying shed, the same being a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6; and Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Throughout the specification and drawings, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, 77 represents radiating arms which extend from a connector 8 provided with a hook 9. The outer ends of the arms 7 are curved, and, pivoted at 10 to the extreme ends of two of the arms of the frame thus constituted, are end cross-members 11. The extreme ends of the other two arms 7 are connected by a rod 12. The ends of the rod 12 are attached to the ends of the arms 7 to which they are connected and are provided with latches 13 pivoted at 14. The said latches 13 are adapted to engage the free ends of the end cross-members 11 to hold said cross-members in a horizontal position. Said latches are released to allow the end cross-members 11 to fall by gravity by levers 15 pivoted at 16 to the rod 12.

The said levers 15 are connected to respective latches by rods 17, and are connected by a spring 18 which is instrumental in holding the latches 13 in engagement with the end cross-members 11. Said levers 15 are adapted to be actuated so as to actuate the latches l3 and to release the end crossmembers 11 by a string, cable or chain 19 whlch is connected to both of said levers.

As is well known, green tobacco, when out, is hung up in drying sheds to properly cure the same. For convenience, the cut tobacco plants are strung or speared on laths which are placed on frames in the drying sheds of a type illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Sheds of this type may consist of a plurality of vertical columns 22, which support a roof 25 and which are connected by horizontal beams 23. These horizontal beams 23 are spaced apart vertically a distance somewhat greater than the length of the tobacco plants, thereby allowing for a circulation of air. Mounted on the horizontal members are ledges 24 which are adapted to receive the ends of the lathe 21 on which the tobacco is strung and between which the tobacco hangs during the process of drying or curing. Tobacco sheds of this type are generally made of a height which necessitates the excessive handling of the tobacco when placing the tobacco on the upper ledges. Heretofore, it has been customary to hand the tobacco from one level to the other, thereby requiring quite a large number of workmen. To elevate the tobacco from the floor to the upper levels, where it may be distributed by a single workman, instead of many, the tobacco, when strung upon the lathe, is placed upon the floor in the position shown in Fig. 4:, with the laths 2 in vertical alinement. When the tobacco is in this position, the end cross-members 11 are released from the latches 13 and the end members are slid under the lowermost lath 21 to the position shown in Fig. 4, when the end members 11 are elevated and caught by the latches 13. The laths, therefore, lie within the carrier frame, and the ends thereof are in a position to be caught by the end cross-members 11 when the carrier frame is elevated. When the tobacco is thus secured in the elevator frame, one end of a rope 30 is attached to the hook 9. The said rope 30 passes upwardly and around a pulley 29 mounted in a swivel 28 attached to a yoke 26, which is provided with a flanged wheel27 adapted to run upon upper ledges 24: which, for this purpose, are placed in a central position. The tobacco is then elevated by the rope 30, and when at the desired height, the elevator frame may be swung around by hand, or by a rope attached to hooks 20, to a position with the ends of the laths over the ledges. The frame is then lowered to enable the lathe to rest upon the ledges. The end crossmembers 11 are then released by pulling on the string 19 which enables the elevator frame to be elevated to release the tobacco. ;The tobacco may afterward be properly distributed on the ledges to secure the proper drying effect. It will be seen that by thus providing an elevator frame, the tobacco may be elevated to high levels without the aid of intervening manual labor.

Having described my invention, I claim.

In a device of the type specified, a connecting member, a plurality of radiating arms extending from said connecting member and curved downwardly at their outer ends, a rod connecting two of said arms, end cross-members pivoted to two of said arms, latches pivoted to said rod and adapted to engage the free ends of said end crossmembers, levers pivoted to said rod and connected to said latches, and adapted to release said latches.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL SCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

R. J. MCCARTY, MATTHEW SIEBLER.

five cents each,

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

